Handshake before the game

Hi. Is there a particular rule in tournament chess describing the handshake before the game? I mean, is there a rule that white (or black) player should offer the hand first, signaling that he is ready to start the game? I can't find the answer anywhere. All the similar topics are about drawing/resigning, but that isn't exactly what interests me.

Hi. Is there a particular rule in tournament chess describing the handshake before the game? I mean, is there a rule that white (or black) player should offer the hand first, signaling that he is ready to start the game? I can't find the answer anywhere. All the similar topics are about drawing/resigning, but that isn't exactly what interests me.

One of the posts here links to an FIDE proclamations that said, "Any player who does not shake hands with the opponent (or greets the opponent in a normal social manner in accordance with the conventional rules of their society)"

Does the part in parentheses mean you can say, "Hi! Good Luck," and that takes the place of shaking hands? The FIDE rule does say "OR."

I never thought about - even as 1990's-early 2000's USCF Tournament Director. Everyone just did it as a matter of routine.

I looked in the USCF Official Rulebook and well as the pdf file "FIDE Rules of Chess" put out by FiDE in 2014, and can't find any mention of handshakes.

We have done the best we can. There was a decree by the FIDE Presidential Board.

It seems pretty clear.

" Any player who does not shake hands with the opponent (or greets the opponent in a normal social manner in accordance with the conventional rules of their society) before the game starts in a FIDE tournament or during a FIDE match (and does not do it after being asked to do so by the arbiter) or deliberately insults his/her opponent or the officials of the event, will immediately and finally lose the relevant game. "

This was enforced in one famous situation and the ruling was reversed. There doesn't appear to be much clarifying whether or not the decree is still in effect.

The Code of Ethics shall be breached by a person or organization who directly or indirectly:

2.2.4

Failure to comply with normally accepted standards of courtesy and chess etiquette.

Misbehavior of a personal nature which is generally unacceptable by normal social standards.

It doesn't specify which player has to offer the hand first, whether or not they have to wash their hands or anything. It is up to the player to behave by "normal social standards", if that is possible.

In this case black couldn't start the clock before white is ready, stealing precious time. Unless the game starting time is strictly fixed, of course. This would make sense to me, but I guess the rules might not be that strict.

And anyway, the people don't even do a real handshake- it is some half lady squeeze lame flop, the men shake each others hands the way they are supposed to shake a lady's hand- ask the romans for a real handshake

If this is the case, it needs to be a felony to use the facilities and not thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water while at a chess tournament, similar to restaurant policies for employees!

You tell me, what do you do in a situation like this? (It's happened to me before). You are at a tournament, let's say the World Open, and you witness someone, typically a kid or a dirty old man, that was at the urinal next to you, and the two of you finish around the right time, and you proceed to wash hands with soap and water, and you witness the other person walk right out the door. Let's say it's round 4.

Round 7 comes, and you are sitting across from the person you specifically witnessed leave the bathroom without washing his hands. Are you going to shake his hands? If you are going to make me shake his hands, I'm going to the rest room, going to get some soap from the dispenser, and a cup of water, and make the clown wash his hands there at the table before I shake his hand!

You should go to jail for not washing your hands at a FIDE event if that other clown rule is being added!

If this is the case, it needs to be a felony to use the facilities and not thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water while at a chess tournament, similar to restaurant policies for employees!

You tell me, what do you do in a situation like this? (It's happened to me before). You are at a tournament, let's say the World Open, and you witness someone, typically a kid or a dirty old man, that was at the urinal next to you, and the two of you finish around the right time, and you proceed to wash hands with soap and water, and you witness the other person walk right out the door. Let's say it's round 4.

Round 7 comes, and you are sitting across from the person you specifically witnessed leave the bathroom without washing his hands. Are you going to shake his hands? If you are going to make me shake his hands, I'm going to the rest room, going to get some soap from the dispenser, and a cup of water, and make the clown wash his hands there at the table before I shake his hand!

You should go to jail for not washing your hands at a FIDE event if that other clown rule is being added!

Yeah, but if they touch the door handle on the way out of the bathroom, then any hand-washing they might have done is pretty much negated, so you'd have to keep an eye on their exiting technique, too...

Plus, you also have to worry about the fact that some men might subtly reach down into their pants while seated at the table to 'adjust themselves' (j'adoube!) every once in a while...

So, basically, if you want to stay clean, it's best to substitute a fist-bump for a handshake.

Why not go all the way while you are at it? First handshaking, then hugging. Might as well make it battle of the sexes, loser has to make the first move. The other sections, instead of the "Under 1800" section or "Under 1400" section, would instead become the Elton John section and the Ellen Degeneres section to go along with the Open section.